olmayabilir

olmayabilir is a Turkish verb form used to express negative possibility. It roughly means “may not be” or “could not be.” The form is the negated version of olabilir (to be able to / may be). It combines the verb root olmak (to be) with the negative suffix -ma/-me and the modal suffix -ebilir, yielding olmayabilir. In practice, a linking sound may appear between the negative part and the modal suffix, but the standard written form is olmayabilir.

Usage-wise, olmayabilir is used to hedge statements about uncertain events, conditions, or descriptions. It can appear with any subject and is common in both spoken and written Turkish. It often appears in forecasts, reports, or hypothetical scenarios to express doubt or caution. Examples:

- Bu haber doğru olmayabilir. (This news may not be true.)

- Hava bugün yağmura yol açabilir; yağmayabilir de. (It might rain today, or it might not.)

- Bu plan şu an geçerli olmayabilir. (This plan might not be valid at the moment.)

Related forms include olabilir (may be) for positive possibility and belki (perhaps) as a general hedging term. Olmayabilir is a standard tool in Turkish for expressing uncertainty about a state, event, or claim, allowing speakers to distance themselves from definitive assertions.